This record may have employed the science of "body rhythm entrainment," but I'm convinced Hennie Bekker has magical powers :) Listening to this album, I instantly felt myself start to relax in the midst of a busy morning. The songs transported me, comforted me, and I could feel stress melting away. There are definite Pathways to Deep Relaxation on this record - all 6 songs will do the trick. They are dreamy, subtle, warm, and inviting, and I look forward to allowing myself to be enveloped in them whenever I need to de-stress and unwind. Hennie Bekker, thank you!

"Beyond Dreams - Pathways to Deep Relaxation" is the latest release from Hennie Bekker, an artist/composer/musician who has created a widely-varied body of work that encompasses more than sixty albums. Born and raised in a southern African copper-mining region, Bekker has lived in a variety of places and cultures, and currently resides in Toronto (Canada). He is best-known for his work on Dan Gibson’s "Solitudes - Exploring Nature With Music" series as well as his own "Kaleidoscopes," "African Tapestries," and "Hennie Bekker’s Tranquility" album series. Bekker started playing music at a very early age, and is a self-taught pianist. He has become a master of musical technology and uses the full resources of his state-of-the-art studio to create the sounds and music that have captivated his fans from all over the world. "Beyond Dreams - Pathways to Deep Relaxation" is beautiful music, but this is music with a purpose - relaxation, self-exploration, and sleep. It is a fascinating merging of art and science to create sounds that will enhance your body and brain response. From the liner notes written by Dr. Lee Bartel, Founding Director of the Music and Health Research Collaboratory at the University of Toronto: “As music is rhythmic, it can subtly synchronize and regulate body rhythms. In this album, carefully designed sound supports the regularity of the brain-heart connection, serves to slow the heart rate to transcend stress, and nudges brainwaves into a state of deep relaxation, meditation, or even sleep. In this album, musical elements of melodic motion entrain brainwave response at theta and delta frequencies to allow a deep relaxed state.” The six tracks are continuous, providing sixty minutes of blissful music. There are very deep sounds throughout the album that contribute to feelings of deep space and darkness, but strong pulsations in the 30-40Hz range have been recently shown to be responsible for brain connectivity to support inner circuits responsible for emotion, movement, consciousness and cognition, and memory. I can fully attest to the relaxing, soothing qualities of this music. I’m sitting here in a bit of a fog, but am feeling no stress of any kind. I don’t think I’d recommend this for driving and definitely not for your wake-up music! I find it fascinating that scientists are confirming what musicians have always known - music is healthy and beneficial for the body and soul! There are plenty of relaxing and soothing albums out there, but Hennie Bekker is truly a master of this kind of music. It is both profoundly beautiful and scientifically-based to put you in a calm and peaceful state to allow healing and to welcome sleep. "Beyond Dreams - Pathways to Deep Relaxation" is likely to become a classic in the ambient and healing music genres. Very highly recommended!

In a departure from the more worldly music that has characterized some of veteran recording artist Hennie Bekker’s albums in recent years, his latest release, Beyond Dreams reflects an otherworldly sonic dimension. Subtitled, “Pathways To Deep Relaxation,” the music is based on the latest scientific research in brainwaves and body response and features dreamy synthesizers, piano, soft rhythmic pulses, and ambient atmospheres to gently entrain the listener into a profoundly peaceful state. As the album opens on a track entitled “Self Connect,” sustained chords of soft synthesizer pads create a peaceful ambiance to begin our inward excursion. I found that listening with headphones enhanced the experience, particularly in feeling the very deep tones that add an earthiness to the more ethereal sounds drifting above them. After a few minutes, a soft pulsing pattern starts to emerge. It’s a lovely combination that eases us into the first level of deep relaxation. On track 4, “The Calm,” I particularly enjoyed the bell-like tones, which reminded me of Indonesian gamelan music. The blend of these sounds with the dreamy synthesizer atmospheres was particularly soothing. One thing I found of interest on track 5, “Quiesence,” as well as other places in the album is that while there are rhythmic sequences that are bouncy or bubbly and provide a sense of forward motion, the overall effect of the music is quite calming. I also really liked the little electronic blips and bleeps that drop in and out of the music and create a bit of a futuristic sci-fi feel. The album concludes with the title track that takes the listener deep into the celestial realms. It is an expansive cosmic journey that would be right at home on a Hearts of Space radio program. According to Hennie: “With this album, I wanted to combine rhythmic entrainment with melodies that listeners could enjoy while preparing for sleep, meditating, practicing yoga, or general self-exploration. As a sound-healing tool, “Beyond Dreams” creates the perfect ambiance for a rejuvenating inner journey. I greatly appreciate having this album as a resource and it’s a journey I know I will take often. To read a full-length feature article on this album, as well as others, please visit: MichaelDiamondMusic.com

I've been listening to this album for 2 days now. It is an hour of continuous music that really relaxes my body, mind , and soul. Another fine album from the master that is Hennie Bekker!!!!